Fire chief blames sleeping smoker for blaze that destroyed two houses

A woman who fell asleep smoking a cigarette and the wind are believed to be the causes of two house fires Jan. 23 near the intersection of North Liberty and Mishey roads in northern Knox County, south of Butler.
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Firefighters battle a pair of structure fires at North Liberty and Mishey roads in northern Knox County, south of Butler, on Tuesday afternoon.(Photo11: Brian J. Smith/News Journal)Buy Photo

NORTH LIBERTY - A woman who fell asleep smoking a cigarette and the wind are believed to be the causes of two neighboring house fires Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of North Liberty and Mishey roads in northern Knox County, south of Butler.

Fredericktown Community Fire District Chief Scott Mast said it's believed the fire started in a house in the 18400 block of Mishey Road, where a woman was smoking in a chair and fell asleep. Wind spread the fire to the neighboring house to the east

"Appears the occupant was smoking in a chair, fell asleep, caught the chair on fire. Attempted to put the chair out by herself. She was not able to," Mast said. "On our arrival, the house on the left was fully involved. It was heavy wind conditions. Fire was blowing over onto the structure on the right side."

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Mast said firefighters initially tried to use an offensive strategy, but were forced to switch to a defensive strategy to fight the fires. Both houses are total losses, Mast said.

"At this point, we tried going offensive on the structure on the right side," he said as efforts to battle the fires continued. "We got pushed back, so now we're completely defensive."

Crews from the Fredericktown Community Fire District, Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District, College-Monroe Fire-EMS, Fredericktown EMS and Jefferson Township-Bellville Fire Department in Richland County battled the blaze. The Knox County Sheriff's Office also was on scene.

Crews from Ohio Edison and Columbia Gas were there to handle the homes' utilities.

The call initially came in at 3:31 p.m. Tuesday. Nearly two-and-a-half hours later, thick white smoke billowed from the house on the left as firefighters sprayed water on what remained of the structure.

The house where the fire started appeared mostly burned to the ground late Tuesday afternoon, with only an outline of the front of the home's first story still standing.

The house on the east, while still standing, sustained significant damage inside the residence.

Smoke filled the air and blew across the roads in the quiet cluster of homes and farmland near North Liberty and Mishey roads, about 4 miles south of Butler and 9 miles northeast of Fredericktown.

According to Knox County property records, the 1,440-square-foot, two-story home where the fire started was built in 1930. The 1,440-square-foot, two-story home to the east was built in 1909 and remodeled in 1996.